There’s been a bit of a theme in the books I’ve been reading recently. All have been set in or around the Victorian era. Jeanette Ng’s Under the Pendulum Sun is an absorbing Gothic Fantasy, capturing the feel of Stoker and Bronte. Highly recommended, and you can find the rest of my review on SFFWorld….

It won’t go away, will it? There are authors out there (Sophia McDougall, Juliet McKenna, Kate Elliott, Melanie Rawn, Robyn Hobb * to name a few) who do write more than the stereotype, they go beyond the usual kick-ass girlie wins every time tropes. But. Kick-ass sells. Strong, intellectual, reasonable, packed full of wisdom leading…